Senior Development Officer, Leadership & Planned Giving (Term)

Description:

About us:

U of T Mississauga—the second largest campus of Canada’s top-ranked university and the only research university in Ontario’s booming Peel Region—is one of the world’s great catalysts of humanpotential.

Our employee community hums with the energy of 3,400 faculty, librarians and staff, who power our campus with curiosity, connection and care. We work together to spark life-changing research and innovation, make an indelible mark on the world by building equitable cities and societies, enable healthy lives, create a sustainable future and ignite entrepreneurship. Above all, we prioritize student success, and seek to give our 16,500 students the lift of a lifetime through learning and discovery. We love to open opportunities available nowhere else for our community to achieve their ambitions and make their unique contributions to Canada and the world.

This work all comes together on a spectacularly green campus, alongside the Missinihe-ziibi (Trusting Creek or Credit River), where we seek to honour truth, reciprocity and reconciliation on the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, Seneca and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. We’re thrilled to welcome those who want to learn more about us and to be part of what we do.

This is a Term position to August 31, 2027. 

Your opportunity:

As Senior Development Officer, Leadership & Planned Giving (SDO, LPG) you will be a key member of a team of dynamic advancement professionals working under the general direction of the Director of Development (DOD). You will also join a distinguished group of specialists who are devoted to the highest standards of work and motivated to advance the mission of the University of Toronto. As a U of T employee, you will enjoy the many benefits that come from working at an institution consistently ranked as one of Canada’s top 100 employers.

As SDO, LPG, you will be responsible for the identification, cultivation and solicitation of prospective donors. Drawing on your strong relationship building and project management skills, you will identify, develop and maintain a robust portfolio of donors (individuals and organizations) for UTM's leadership giving and gift planning programs. Working with the DOD, you will be focused on expanding the gift planning pool of donors and developing the program. You will ensure that proper stewardship and engagement take place following the close of a gift to sustain the donor’s interest and support. As the incumbent, you will work closely with the UTM SDOs and other members of the development team, academic leaders, volunteers, and Division of University Advancement colleagues to structure gift opportunities and realize the success of the fundraising program. You will be comfortable working in a fast-paced and high-performance environment as the Defy Gravity campaign continues to reach new heights. You will be an individual passionate about working at Canada’s top university, dedicated to inclusive excellence, and driven by a commitment to making a positive impact.

Note: Flexibility is required for occasional evenings and weekends.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Identifying, cultivating and soliciting prospective donors at the leadership giving level (generally gifts under $50,000) and for the University's gift planning program
• Meeting face-to-face with current and prospective donors to discuss giving interests and funding opportunities
• Identifying, evaluating and realizing the necessary steps to bring a prospective donor to make a major financial commitment to the University
• Developing tailored and compelling funding opportunities that align with donor interest and support the University's strategic initiatives
• Evaluating a prospective donor’s giving capacity and readiness to give
• Collaborating closely with academic leaders to identify and design funding opportunities; working closely with faculty members and volunteers on appropriate donor solicitation strategies
• Managing donor relations by developing and implementing stewardship plans and strategies to sustain donor engagement
• Writing funding proposals, gift agreements, donor acknowledgement and recognition communications; drafting briefing notes, solicitation plans and call reports to track donor interaction

Essential Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree or acceptable combination of equivalent experience
• Minimum five (5) years of experience in a staff fundraising or advancement role with a track record of success in managing a pool of donors and external stakeholder relationships key to the organization's success
• Experience and knowledge of annual giving and planned giving programs and gift vehicles
• Proven ability to motivate high-net-worth prospective donors and volunteers; ability to motivate alumni, faculty members and colleagues
• Experience working with and guiding senior-level volunteers and academic leaders
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills (written and spoken)
• Clear evidence of leadership and initiative, tact/diplomacy, sound judgement and decision making in complex environments with competing priorities
• Strong organizational and analytical skills; keen attention to detail
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and results-oriented environment
• Effective team player who values collaboration

Assets (Nonessential):

• Experience working in a university environment
• Experience working with Arbor
• Sound knowledge of alumni relations programming
• Strong interest in learning and professional development

To be successful in this role you will be:

• Accountable
• Communicator
• Goal oriented
• Persuasive
• Self-directed
• Tactful

Closing Date: 07/20/2026, 11:59PM ET
Employee Group: USW 
Appointment Type : Budget - Term 
Schedule: Full-Time
Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone:
USW Pay Band 15 -- $97,348. with an annual step progression to a maximum of $124,491. Pay scale and job class assignment is subject to determination pursuant to the Job Evaluation/Pay Equity Maintenance Protocol.
Job Category: Administrative / Managerial

Lived Experience Statement
Candidates who are members of Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, persons with disabilities, and other equity deserving groups are encouraged to apply, and their lived experience shall be taken into consideration as applicable to the posted position.

Job descriptions are available upon request for internal applicants.